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The Hidden Toll Of Immigration Enforcement

Still think illegal immigrants are taking jobs away from Americans? Consider this New York Times story.

Consider these quotes from the article:

The tightening of the border with Mexico, begun more than a decade ago but reinforced since May with the deployment of 6,000 National Guard troops, has forced California growers to acknowledge that most of their workers are illegal Mexican migrants. The U.F.W. estimates that more than 90 percent of the stateâ€™s farm workers are illegal.

For years, economists say, California farmers have been losing their pickers to less strenuous, more stable and sometimes higher-paying jobs in construction, landscaping and tourism.

â€œIf you want another low-wage job, you can work in a hotel and not die in the heat,â€ said Marc Grossman, the spokesman for the United Farm Workers of America. The union calculates that up to 15 percent of Californiaâ€™s farm labor force leaves agriculture each year.

All the while the Republicans in the house beat their chests about enforcement and refuse to consider a worker program. Perhaps they should consider that a majority of farmers vote republican when they do such grand-standing.